Movement and habitat use of stocked juvenile lake sturgeon in Lake Erie

YNGLS

May 2025 - December 2027

Lake sturgeon have been stocked in the Maumee River as part of a long-term reintroduction program since 2018. A subset of fish received acoustic transmitters to examine survival and habitat use, but these tags had a short (1-2 year) battery life, which limits understanding about how juvenile sturgeon are using Lake Erie and its connecting waterways as these fish age. This project (YNGLS) focuses on juvenile lake sturgeon (between 15-36 inches total length) recaptured by commercial fishers in Ohio. Recaptured individuals were implanted with acoustic transmitters and their movements monitored for an additional 2 years.

• Matthew Faust (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) - matthew.faust@dnr.ohio.gov
• Richard Kraus (United States Geological Survey)
• William Hintz (The University Of Toledo - Lake Erie Center)
• Jorden Mckenna (United States Fish And Wildlife Service)

• Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Division of Wildlife
• United States Geological Survey - Great Lakes Science Center - Lake Erie Biological Station
• United States Fish and Wildlife Service
• The University of Toledo